Google Chrome location services won't stay enabled!

Hey Kelvs11,

Good job going over what you are noticing with Google Chrome. We are here to help go over your Privacy preferences on the Mac together.

Have you already checked if there are any updates to the Google Chrome app or macOS?

Change Privacy preferences on Mac using this article to see if the same thing happens with another application like Safari.

How to use safe mode on your Mac will go over another step we want to check. Does the System Preferences revert while using safe mode?

Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac with the steps here. If you don't have another user, let's create a test user and set it up. Does the same thing happen if you use Google Chrome?

We hope this helps.

Cheers.

This is NOT a Chrome issue. It is an M1 and/or Big Sur issue.

I've been experiencing this since December. I have enabled Location Services and locked the settings many times over. Yet when I come back to the System Preference for Privacy and Security, Enable Location Services is unchecked.

Only if the browser (Safari, Chrome, and Firefox) is open will they appear in the list of apps that can be enabled, even if I've previously enabled them. I have to unlock, then enable location services, then select the checkbox for the apps I want to use.

Later, when I come back, regardless of whether or not I've locked Privacy and Security, it is locked, enable location services is unchecked, and if the apps aren't open, they don't appear in the list of apps that have requested access.

I continually get a message that Calendar would like to use my location. I allow it, but it doesn't stick.

I've reinstalled the operating system with a fresh install, and it still does this.

I am also experiencing this with Google Chrome and Catalina and Big Sur, on MacBook Pro 2015 and M1 minis, with both non-admin and admin users. It seems to occur after every Chrome update. I noticed it happening within the past 6 months or so, and not prior, so it must be related to more recent versions of Chrome.

I first posted on this topic in https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252095684 and will file a ticket with Google.

A lot of people are coming to this post because they are having a similar issue with location services and any program, including every apple app. Every time the system reboots, location services defaults to unchecked and all previous permissions are gone. I have a post on this here: 252860671 but so far, nothing works.

I updated Google Chrome and the problem appears to be fixed!

I came here because I had the same problem: Location Services won't stay enabled for Chrome.

To update Google Chrome, go to: chrome://settings/help

Click "Relaunch".

Chrome will close and reopen, presuming you have Automatic Updates turned on.

With Automatic Updates, Chrome is designed to update every time the program is started. One could also simply close the program and reopen it. This should cause the update to install, as well.

In MacOS, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Location Services. Click the padlock to unlock and re-enable Google Chrome.

Voila!

Yes. I think this happens when Chrome auto-updates itself, and Big Sur appears to treat Chrome like a new app all over again, so the previous permission for location services is reset back to default "no". It's hugely annoying.

This same thing has been happening to me every since I "upgraded" to Big Sur (on a 2018 Mac Mini). The first few times, I had no idea that my locations services had been disabled for Chrome (without my consent)...and I spent HOURS trying to troubleshoot my code (I'm a developer) attempting to determine why chrome, which appeared to have my permission to get my location, wouldn't fetch my location. This is seriously crippling to any web apps that require location permissions...because it's not evident that a user's locations services have been disabled...and most users wouldn't think that their OS has surreptitiously disabled location services without their consent. After a few months of this bug (which has now happened to me at least a dozen times or more), it feels more like an anti-trust issue...in which Apple is crippling the Chrome browser from working correctly. Safari's location settings are NEVER disabled, just Chrome's. If I were Google, I'd be calling my attorneys.

For many web developers that rely on their user's being able to give permission to share their location so they can get accurate location-based listings on websites they visit using Chrome, this is a serious business harming concern. Apple, you need to fix this asap.

It's not Big Sur only, happens on Mojave too. I skip OS updates because of issues like this, but Chrome is updated and this has been a constant issue for the last few months. I've not changed anything on this mac in two years because I do not need to.

I just tried chrome://settings/help and relaunching, then redoing the location services. We'll see if it stays this time over the next few days.

It's happening here on Mojave as well.

Not sure why the answer is marked as "Solved" cos that answer doesn't contain any actual solution beyond what is effectively the catch-all tech support response of "try turning it off and on again". (All the info in that answer is useful and certainly should be followed, I'm just saying it doesn't seem to be the full solution for anyone)

It reverts chrome to disabled for location (presumably after every Chrome update) yet remembers the specifically allowed sites in Chrome which I have allowed to see location. It makes no sense. And I blame MacOS system settings. I have never liked and it seems like it has barely changed for at least a decade now.

#knot2afrayed, the site memory is a function of Chrome. The location services permissions is a function of Mac OS. Try checking the Chrome access in Location Services after restarting your computer, to see if it's been changed. I'm experiencing the change in permissions without any kind of update from any software.

https://crbug.com/1143807 is the Chrome bug about this issue. You can click the star near the top left of the page to vote for fixing this issue. The Chrome developers really do pay attention to highly-starred bugs.

^^^ This should be marked as the correct answer for this issue cos it provides good info and a workaround.

The Chrome bug report explains that the issue happens if you access OS Location permissions while a Chrome update is pending (see comment #10).

Until the bug is fixed, the workaround is to update Chrome, then set the location permissions. They should stick until at least when the next Chrome update is released. It does seem to be working for me.

This isn't just when Chrome gets updated. I can leave the preferences window open, request a location in Chrome, and when I flip back to preferences the checkbox is cleared. I really wanted a new mac book pro, but today the computer is to support the browser - and I'm not going to live with my browser not working because Apple wants me to use Safari.

I'm running into this EXACT same problem.. every time Google does an update.. apple wants me to re-enable location services from Chrome. At least once a week.. Apple wants me to re-enable location services for Chrome.

What the heck apple???